12 Days of Christmas Purge

Anytime of year is perfect for a purge! But even more so now, when new things start finding their way to your house... whether a gift from a friend or family member... or one of those gifts to yourself.

I'm joining Alysha for her 12 Days of Christmas Holiday Purge. I'll be sharing my daily purges on Instagram and Facebook. On with the purge!


Day 1: Coffee Mugs

Who does not have too many coffee mugs? I always seem to hang on to a lot. Just in case that swarm of company shows up and a whole pot of coffee (or 2 pots, or 3) get made. Two things that never happen here. It's time to let some of that just go!

I am parting ways this evening today with six coffee mugs. Notice that three of these are Christmas mugs! This couldn't have been a more perfect time to start this purge challenge. Nor a better way to start it, with all the the Christmas stuff coming out of hiding this time of year. These are perfectly good mugs so I will be on the lookout for a new home for them. Where they will be used and loved.

Tomorrow's Purge - Day 2 - Books

If you would like to join in the purge and learn to live with less, leave a comment and stop over and see the hostess, Alysha at An Intentional Future and be sure to keep up with all the daily purges on Instagram and Facebook.

Why I Choose Améo Essential Oils

I've been using essential oils for just under a year. I had never even heard of them or the big brand names (Young Living, doTERRA, etc). It was my little sister who introduced me to them and neither had she had previous experience with those companies. I wasn't even aware what "therapeutic" and "CPTG" meant. My little sister is big in researching and learning truths, not believing whatever she is told. She would even check out thoroughly anything I said. And she should!

We just lost our mother and I have more of a drive than ever before to focus on my health, for myself and my family. And after all she went through I've learned that we HAVE to be advocates for our own health. And if there is a natural way to treat and prevent illness, or control symptoms of disease without the harmful side effects of synthetic drugs, that is the choice I will make. I am thankful for modern medicine and what it can do for us. It saved my mother's life on prior occasions as well. But I love the quote on this picture...

The more I read and learn about essential oils the more confusing it gets. There are those who adamantly oppose internal use/ingestion, while others under precautionary measures embrace it, when it is appropriate. I have read the name Robert Tisserand on many blogs, websites and Facebook pages. I am also taking a course from Vintage Home Remedies titled "Essential Oils and Natural Health". Only from there did I hear that Robert Tisserand, "THE go to source for all things essential oil related was a Massage Therapist. What??? How did he become the go to authority on essential oils? No disrespect intended! I have learned that Traditional Aromatherapy origins were attributed to him. That's all well and good. This type of aromatherapy however relies on a theoretical basis. But when there is Proven, Scientific Evidence that supports (with safety measures followed) internal use. I have to go with the highly Harvard educated, PhD (in Bio-Medical Science) that with a decade of research has developed the science and high quality of Améo oils and has patented proof of the oils at work in the human cells.

Young Living and doTERRA have done a lot to spread the word of essential oils and what they can do. Respect is given to their work. They have paved the way for more research and findings and that's what Dr. Joshua Plant has been able to achieve.

Améo Essenial Oils is the ONLY essential oils with a Clinical Grade. 'Therapeutic' and 'CPTG' are marketing terms to differentiate the two large essential oil companies. There is no official qualification that gives official classifications. Nor can the purity be proven, as the highest quality from Améo will be. Patents have been issued and this is the eve of a great new look at essential oils.

I've never been a distributor for a MLM company before. I've never even signed up to get a discount for myself. I've just steered clear for a few reasons to be  honest. One being a large number of 'those' kind of people seem pushy. But Améo is something I am proud to be affiliated with and share my experience in using. A large number of new distributors (in my group alone) have come from 'the other' companies for a BETTER opportunity with a higher quality product! Have more questions? Feel free to contact me. It's a great time to be on the ground floor of what will soon be the biggest essential oil company in the market!

October Organizing

I love seeing things organized. A place for everything, and everything in it's place. Sometimes life gets busy & chaotic (as it's been around the last 4 months) and you start with putting something down where it doesn't go. Then you forget to put it away and pretty soon it starts snow balling! I'm following Becky's prompts this month for short 15 minute organizing challenges to get back on track. You can get more on this challenge series HERE on Becky's blog. Not to mention all the other great information she has to offer. :)

I'm playing catch-up with my posts. Luckily Day 1 was just an introduction with information on the challenge and how to share your picture progress with Becky and her followers via Pinterest and/or Instagram. You never know what other great ideas you might get just from viewing others' pictures.

Day 2 was a drawer. Becky provided some shirt-folding ideas to not only make more space in your dresser drawer but it's so much easier to see what you have. Below is my before and after of my shirt drawer. I discovered two things... okay three things. 1.) I now have room to get more shirts. Yay me! 2.) I apparently like grey. and burgundy. And 3.) I am beginning to acquire as many Oklahoma Sooner shirts as my husband, who is a die-hard fan of his home state's team. :)

Before I at least had them folded somewhat but all stacked on top of each like they were makes it impossible to know what my options are without taking several out to see what's underneath.

Following Becky's folding technique I can see them all and make a choice without having to take several out. 

Day 3 (today) was the Undies drawer. I already had my simple drawer organizers from the Dollar Tree and had it all nice and neat before. But of course in my rushed, busy life as of late with the medical care of my sweet little Abby, I let things get out of control. But she needed me. Below is my before and after pictures of the Undies drawer. In the process I purged old socks and undies that were getting pretty worn. I have a few more of these $1 drawer organizers that I look forward to using in another drawer soon. :)

My drawer organizer are under all that mess, I swear! But in my rushed time I felt successful to keep the laundry done, and put away. Who needs folded undies anyway? :)

But again, just like with the shirts drawer, I can see everything easily now I love the clean organized look.

Saying Goodbye

Our lives have recently been turned upside down with the loss of our precious Abby.

 Abby passed away two weeks ago on September 17th, just 3 weeks away from her 5th birthday. She wasn't just a pet to our family, she was our baby girl. We still cry daily and miss her terribly. The depth of our love is hard for some to understand. As is the lengths we went to, to try and save her life.

Abby somehow contracted a serious condition known as Idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura or ITP. It's both an animal and human disease in which the immune system attacks the platelets. Often the source or 'reason' is not known. She was very sick and critical before we ever knew it. She never acted sick and was a lively as ever. She never acted sick until she was diagnosed and began treatment. We just noticed some red spots on her belly that we initially thought was a harmless rash but by the next day was bruising and very scary looking. These pictures are still painful to view, but doing so might help make others aware. If you ever see anything like this on your pet, please don't ignore it or assume it's just a rash or allergy to something.

Her treatment was very aggressive including high doses of steroids to suppress her immune system so her platelets would  begin rebuilding. She also had to take pepcid to help protect her stomach from the steroids, and medicine for the bleeding ulcer she had developed as well. After a week of these medicines the blood tests showed only a fraction of difference so a second immunosuppressive drug was added to her twice daily routine and a one time dose of chemo which, oddly enough has the side effect of telling the bone marrow to release a considerably larger supply of platelets. There was a risk with the Vincristine chemo drug of bone marrow suppression in which the bone marrow stops producing white and red blood cells, as well as platelets. She was so young and healthy up to this point and the treatments have worked (though not 100%) in large numbers of cases. I've always been one to educate myself on health issues and be well informed. I did my research for Abby as well. We chose to go ahead with the one time chemo treatment to try to get much needed platelets rushed into her system. She did develop bone marrow suppression and was hospitalized and given two blood transfusions to buy time and wait to see if the bone marrow resumed it's job after a few days. It did and we continued meds and weekly blood tests to monitor the slow but stead climb of the low levels.

Abby reached normal levels after a couple of long months of treatment. The vet began the long process of tapering off the steroids slowly and again monitoring her blood work to see if she would retain her normal number of platelets. The steroid battled constantly with the medication for her bleeding ulcer so it was a fight to try to get it healed. Unfortunately Abby developed Pancreatitis from all of the medication cocktails, specifically the steroids. She was hurting and didn't want to eat or drink and just wasn't acting like herself. She was hospitalized again for 4  more days and put on IV therapy with most of the medications on hold to let her recover from the painful pancreatitis. It was the only choice and a risk because of the potential plummet of her platelets with the sudden stop of the steroids. Abby did have a relapse and because she hadn't completely recovered 100% it proved to be a fatal relapse. The vet suggested another blood transfusion to maintain again and said that she has seen complete recoveries before after relapses and there was still a chance, given her young age. We again decided to go with the transfusion. But my last visit with her at the hospital she looked so tired, and miserable. All I could do was sit and hold her and cry. I couldn't bear the thought of losing her but I would never want to her to remain in pain and so sick, just for me.

After leaving her in the hands of some wonderful techs that last day I went home with only a vague sense of time and surroundings. I went to bed that night and prayed a painful, but sincere prayer. I prayed that if this was all too much for her and that if she wasn't to eventually survive this battle, then to take her now so her pain and sickness could end. I received a phone call at 5:14AM on Tuesday morning the 17th from the vet that she was gone.

I've never known such love of life and people. She absolutely LOVED belly kisses and was as smart as any young child. We spelled so many words around her because she was so smart! All I had to ask was "wanna kiss?" and she immediately rolled over for belly kisses. I still find it hard to believe she is gone. Sometimes when I come home from work I forget and look around, wondering why I don't see her running to greet me. And when I wake at night I look around the room to see where she is, because she isn't curled up next to me. We take things one day at a time and will no doubt be able to love another little fur baby one day. She was truly the light of our lives! I found out recently that Abigail means "father's joy". She couldn't have had a more fitting name as she brought her father (and mother) an abundance of joy daily. Her memory will continue to do so.

Rest in Peace little girl. We'll always love you!

Giving Abby her belly kisses.

Abby loved her toys, as you can see in the background. But she let you know when she needed your attention. And she always got what she wanted. ;)

Visiting Abby at the hospital. 

Pause, Fast Forward, Play

I had push Pause on the blog for a couple of months. Life stepped in and brought a whirlwind of change, totally out of the ordinary. That happens to all of us. My husband had a bypass surgery (femoral artery bypass). Can you believe they use polyester material to make prosthetic arteries these days? He's recovered and is doing fine but is was a rough little bit.

As you can see I've decided to change things around a bit on the blog. I am going for a softer feel these days. I think that's in part due to another BIG change in our lives. We are now Grammie & Grandpa! Our first grandchild was born in early March and things have been hopping! I'm working both on new blog colors and graphics and working on some digital scrapbook pages. I'll load a few of those I've done over the next few days but here is a quick sneak peak of the beautiful addition to our family. Meet our first grandchild.... our beautiful grandson... meet Matthew {aka Matty}

I need to finish my new blog button and post divider/signature. So those will go up later tonight or tomorrow. But for now, another little one is demanding some attention, so it's off of the computer for me for a bit. Our little Abby is done being patient with me. All of her toys you see scattered on the floor in the picture, have ceased to entertain her. :)